The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has insisted that food manufacturers are working to cut salt levels in meat, after a pressure group claimed over-salty bacon was threatening the nation’s health.

A halal certifying body has warned of the “huge problem” of bogus halal meat facing ethnic and other consumers, while offering support for police and Trading Standards’ raids on halal meat wholesalers.

Unison, the UK’s largest union, is urging the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to make tests for the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis a routine part of meat inspection regimes, as new figures reveal the disease now affects up to 1,000 Britons a day.